Palladium Books® Weekly Update – April 19, 2012

By Kevin Siembieda

Hi everyone, I have to make this Weekly Update fast and brief. I hope I don’t come off brisk or rude, because a lot of exciting things are happening, but we NEED to get back to work finishing Endless Dead™.

UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™

The Endless Dead™ sourcebook is epic, exciting and gruesome fun. See the new description in this Weekly Update. I’m pounding away on the last 50 manuscript pages and we intend to send the book to the printer tomorrow (Friday, April 20). That means we will have it in time for the Open House (it will arrive that Thursday or Friday!), but we may not be able to ship it out to the rest of you until May 7 or 8. HOWEVER, if it arrives early enough on Thursday, we will try to ship out all the pre-orders (a very real probability). So send in your orders now. The new zombies are weird and terrifying, at least a quarter of the Endless Dead™ sourcebook focuses on the military, there are some cool, new O.C.C.s and a zillion random tables to stimulate ideas and help you run campaigns and create adventures. Like I said, epic. And the artwork . . . well, you’ll see for yourself very soon.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #58 – Ships April 20

Yep, The Rifter® #58 arrives tomorrow and we’ll be shipping it out on Friday and/or Monday. We must get Endless Dead™ finished and we are all tied up with it and the shipping of 200+ Rifts® Lemuria hardcover editions and specialty packs. We’ll try to ship out ALL the subscriber copies Friday, but no promises. They’ll go out on Monday at the latest. Don’t forget, this issue includes a big hunk of additional “official” material for Rifts® Lemuria, plus cool source material for Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane® and the City-State of Lazlo™ for Rifts® and some other good stuff. See the complete description elsewhere in this Weekly Update.

UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria Megaverse® Insider Hardcover Editions

The hardcovers are in our warehouse and we’re coordinating to get everyone we can to come in and sign the books going out to Megaverse Insiders, including the Palladium staff, Matthew Clements, Chuck Walton, and maybe some others. We have something like 220 books to sign, plus prints and special items to sign, gather, pack and ship for the Ultimate Insiders and Benefactors. It might take us over the weekend to make these bundles as awesome as possible, but we will start shipping on Friday and they will ALL be on their way to you by Monday. I promise.

● UPDATE: PDF of Rifts® Lemuria also starts shipping out on Friday and over the weekend.

UPDATE: Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria – Available now

Excitement for the softcover edition of Rifts® Lemuria remains high as gamers are receiving and enjoying this dynamic and fun book. Get one yourself to see what all the chatter is about. Rifts® Lemuria should have been hitting the stores all this week. AVAILABLE NOW. See the full description of Rifts® Lemuria elsewhere in this Weekly Update. Reminder: Bring your copy of Rifts® Lemuria and a stack of other books to the Palladium Open House to be signed by a slew of contributors. The Open House always has the biggest gathering of Palladium creators (30+) anywhere, ever.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

It is next. I’ll start work on it next week.

UPDATE: Titles Back in Print – April 24

I have sent the following five out of print books in for short, special printings. ALL will be available to ship by Tuesday, April 24.

I hope to send in 2-4 others next week, including Mutant Underground™ and Rifts® Sourcebook 2: The Mechanoids®.

UPDATE: Online Sales

Sales were better this week. I continue to see growing excitement over the release of Rifts® Lemuria,The Rifter® #58, Endless Dead™ and upcoming new products. In fact, there is a growing excitement in the air about everything Palladium. Yep, I think this will be our year.

Back in print: The ever popular Property of the Coalition™ T-shirt; black on sports gray.

Plus Palladium Fantasy® coffee mug – red on black mug.

Plus Rifts® miniatures – old and new.

UPDATE: Palladium Open House (May 4, 5 & 6, 2012)

Come join the fun for a day, the weekend or an evening. We are going to have all kinds of new products, back stock books, four new T-shirts, new Palladium Fantasy coffee mug, games, panel talks, auction, costume contest, Palladium staff, artists, writers, revelations, and fun you’ll talk about for years to come. We have made it a point to keep the cost of attendance low by even offering an evening rate of only $10 at the door after 6:00 PM on Friday and Saturday. It is worth the price of admission just to meet and chat with the many Palladium artists and writers from around the country. See the complete description at the end of this Weekly Update.

Just this week I ordered the tables and chairs, costume contest prizes, and secured the additional parking we needed to accommodate everyone! NOTE: The Open House is not an annual event and there are currently no plans to host one in 2013. We’ve found hosting every two or three years seems to work best for everyone.

Hotel Rooms. It turns out that the Plymouth Comfort Inn Clock Tower Hotel will hold the $69.95 price for a room double or king. HOWEVER, they are no longer being held and rooms may sell out.

$69.95 plus tax per Double or King room on a first come first served basis. They are almost sold out now.

Call 734-455-8100 and you MUST tell them you want a room at the Palladium Books rate ($69.95 plus tax). Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel; five minutes from Palladium Books and right off I-275 (Ann Arbor Road exit).

UPDATE: Megaversal® Ambassadors

We will be doing much more with the Megaversal® Ambassadors program after the Palladium Open House. Thanks to the efforts of our new Megaversal Ambassador coordinators, Victor Peterson, Gary Miller, Jeff Ruiz, and Nathan Bingham, we plan to expand and do more with our Megaversal Ambassadors.

Folks are loving the Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Kit – now available onDriveThruRPG.com for only $5. Gamers who loved the Rifts® G.M. Kit will love this one too. Like its predecessor, the Fantasy G.M. Kit is written by Carl Gleba and comes with maps, combat matrix, character sheets, spell list, and 20 pre-rolled characters created by Julius Rosenstein (and used by Julius and me for years and years in games at conventions). And it is available at the same low price of $5 for a wealth of material and helpful Game Master resources. Don’t forget, DriveThruRPG.com also offers the FREE Sneak Previews of Rifts® Lemuria, Vampire Kingdoms™, Thundercloud Galaxy™, and soon, Endless Dead™, as well as 90+ back stock titles, including back issues of The Rifter®, and first edition rule books for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, and lots of other good things, of which the Rifts® Game Master Kit is just one. ALL available as PDF downloads at reasonable prices. And there is MORE to come.

UPDATE: Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store

Alex and I have been adding all kinds of new toys and action figures to my online store. More Palladium collectibles will be added every few days. We try to add at least a few things a couple times a week, every week. We’ll keep them coming if you keep buying them.

In closing. These are exciting times for all of us. We have been crazy busy the past couple of weeks and will continue to be right through the Open House. I think things are only going to be more fun and more exciting in the months ahead. I hope you guys and gals are buckled in and ready for an exciting ride.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria™

– Available now!

Rifts® Lemuria is packed with new magic, weapons, living power armor, monstrous war steeds, weapons, and gear suitable for landlubbers and aquatic adventurers alike.

The Lemurians are an amphibious people with floating cities and magic-based technology that allows for land and underwater adventures alike. Discover the secrets and people of this lost and forgotten civilization of magic and wonder. Add amphibious capabilities to your Rifts® campaigns and discover new menaces under the sea. Amphibious in nature, Lemurians wage war against the demonic on dry land and under the waves. Their exotic riding animals, weapons, armor and magic are suitable for use on land and underwater.

The special, limited edition hardcovers start shipping April 20 to those of you who bought them as Megaverse® Insiders. Fewer than 200 copies were printed of each, so each is truly a collectible item. Enjoy.

Rifts® Lemuria “Sneak Preview” on DriveThruRPG.com – is available right now! You can see the cover, contents pages and enticing snippets from several different sections of the book as a FREE PDF download, including one of the Bio-Armors, one War Steed, a few new Biomancy spells, and other good stuff. Don’t forget, there are 90+ back stock titles, including back issues of The Rifter®, and first edition rule books for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, and lots of other good things, of which the Rifts® Game Master Kit, is just one. ALL available as PDF downloads at reasonable prices. And there is MORE coming. The Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Kit, The Rifter #0.1 and #0.2, maybe some PDF only sourcebooks, an Endless Dead™ Sneak Preview and other sneak previews and fun stuff are all coming your way.

Rifts® Lemuria “First Look” Video Review. Carmen Bellaire and William Johnson were given the unfinished manuscript page files and a small selection of artwork – in advance – so they could do a First Look Video Review of Rifts® Lemuria. There is so much good stuff to talk about that the guys had to split their review of Rifts® Lemuria into two episodes to cover it all. They have reviews of other Palladium products, too. It is all on YouTube for your viewing enjoyment right now. The views expressed are those of Carmen and William, not Palladium Books.

NEW! The Rifter® #58

– Ships April 20

The Rifter® is an idea factory that helps players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and keep their games fresh. It provides useful, ready to go, source material gamers can just drop into their ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new monsters, villains, characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, adventure and ideas for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least two or three other Palladium game lines.

The Rifter® Number 58 examines people, places and power. There are new, “official” O.C.C.s for Rifts® Lemuria that include the Lemurian Academic, Citizen, Experimenter and Healer, plus more aquatic animals of note. The Free State of Lazlo provides another unique setting on Rifts Earth, and a Nightbane® short story offers a sense of life after Dark Day. The material for Palladium Fantasy® introduces an array of dangerous beings, and the section on the Kezel and their abilities provides a new kind of superhuman that can be used in Heroes Unlimited™, Phase World® or anywhere in the Megaverse®.

Various Settings – The Kezel™: A weird, new superhuman for use in Rifts® Chaos Earth™, Rifts®, Phase World®, Heroes Unlimited™ and even Palladium Fantasy®; includes many powers. The Kezel claim to be human, but their abilities would suggest otherwise.

NEW! Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™

Ships May 3

Endless Dead™ goes to the printer tomorrow, Friday, and will ship May 3 or May 7.

The zombie hordes grow in number and strangeness as we reveal Fused Zombies and weird amalgamations of walking dead. Can humankind survive? Where is the military? What’s next for the survivors of the zombie apocalypse?

This epic, 96 page sourcebook contains horrifying new zombies to haunt player characters along with new character classes (O.C.C.s) and tons of tables for detailing Survivor Hideouts, Safe Haven Communities, Death Cults, military units, military bases and more. Survival is not enough. The time for war against the Endless Dead™ has come.

NEW! Palladium Bookmarks, Set Two

– Available now

They look great. A set of four, 2 x 6 inch bookmarks, printed on both sides, each depicting a different Palladium game line: Chaos Earth™, Phase World®, Nightbane® and Beyond the Supernatural™. They are attractive, useful and make a fun collectible. The first set has been so popular, we had to do a second.

Cat. No. 2555 – $5.00 retail. Based on what similar bookmarks sell for, we figure the set of four should have an $8.00 value, but Palladium’s price is only $5.00.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Available now! Palladium Bookmarks, Set One

“I love the Palladium bookmarks and use three of the first set all the time.” – Kevin Siembieda

A set of four, 2 x 6 inch bookmarks, each depicting a different Palladium game line: Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™ and Dead Reign™. They are attractive, useful and make a fun collectible.

Cat. No. 2554 – $5.00 retail. Based on what similar bookmarks sell for, we figure the set of four should have an $8.00 value, but Palladium’s price is only $5.00.

Ship Date: Available now.

Rifts® Dimension Book™ 5: Anvil Galaxy™

– Available now – Back in print

This popular, fan-favorite Phase World® sourcebook presents a dynamic overview of the Anvil Galaxy™ and its many alien races, technologies, conflicts and secrets. A great resource for any Phase World® fan and valuable addition for campaigns involving the Minion War™.

Rifts® Sourcebook Three: Mindwerks™

– Available now – Back in print

Rifts® Mindwerks™ is a companion to Triax & The NGR™ and Triax™ 2. It details the techno-horrors of the Mindwerks Corporation and its insane mastermind, the Angel of Death, as well as providing more information on the NGR, the Gargoyle and Brodkil Empires, robots and equipment, plus the Gene-Splicers, a dozen D-Bee races, an evil Millennium Tree, mind-altering cybernetic implants and a few notable kingdoms.

14 O.C.C.s and R.C.C.s, including the Lycanmorph and Null Psyborg.

Mindwerks ‘bots, cyborgs, weapons & equipment.

Mindwerks M.O.M. conversions, Crazies and insanity.

Gene-Splicers and their presence on Rifts® Earth.

Germany’s infamous Black Forest and its evil Millenium Tree.

Massive new war machines for the Gargoyles and the NGR.

The Kingdom of Tarnow, its namesake magical crystal and anti-Gargoyle weapons and equipment.

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™

Unknown to most humans, deep within Mexico the vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and food stock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions.

More human kingdoms within Mexico like the Tampico Military Protectorate and Durango, the Silver City.

Firefighting robots, hover firetrucks and more anti-vampire gear.

Magic based Vampire Hunters and human strongholds.

Techno-Wizard anti-vampire weapons and magical devices.

Profiles for Doc Reid and Reid’s Rangers, the world’s most famous Vampire Hunters.

Fort Reid, an entire city devoted to hunting the undead.

The Bloodwatch, a secret vampire intelligence agency that tracks down and exterminates Vampire Hunters.

The Yucatan Peninsula, a mysterious dimensional pocket overrun by strange demons known as Xibalbans.

The return of the Mayan god Camazotz, Lord of Bats and Darkness.

The werebeasts of Mexico and Central America; those who assist the vampires and those who fight against them.

Rifts® Black Market™ – A Rifts® Sourcebook

On Rifts® Earth, the Black Market is the most prevalent trader in weapons, contraband and magic items outlawed by the Coalition. Explore the day to day business of the market along with its smuggling routes, practices, policies and nefarious products. Encounter the five major Black Market factions in North America and foreign groups like the Yakuza, Green Scarf Sect and the Underground Railroads of Atlantis and the Vampire Kingdoms.

Rifts® World Books: Northern Gun™ One & Two

The largest independent manufacturer of weapons, robots and adventure gear in North America is Northern Gun™. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, they have been the premier outfitter of mercenaries and adventurers for decades, and are a major hub for hiring military contractors. With a whole new product line to offer their customers, the future looks bright for Northern Gun™.

We haven’t yet decided exactly how the source material and background information will be divided between the two books. Both will contain world information, one will probably have power armor, weapons, and gear, the other will probably have giant robots and vehicles. Both will be epic.

The arms giant Northern Gun profiled for the first time!

The Kingdom of Ishpeming, a puppet-state propped up by NG.

109 P.A. catalog of Northern Gun products!

New weapons, power armor, vehicles, robots and adventure gear.

The Ishpeming military, essentially a framework for hiring mercenaries and privateers.

The NG Bounty Board, the largest collection of bounties and mercenary contracts anywhere on Rifts® Earth.

Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, ‘nuff said.

Soulmancer and Blood Magic.

The Seven Deadly Plagues.

The Demon Plagues across the globe.

Battleground: Earth – as demons and infernals amass their legions.

Rifts Calgary – also known as Hell’s Pit; the kingdom described.

Ciudad de Diablo, Harpies’ Island and other notable Hell holes on Earth.

Lord Doom, Pain and other demonic leaders.

Horune treachery, Dimension Stormers and other villains.

Global chaos and the places most dramatically affected by the Demon Plagues.

PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include:

Palladium Open House – May 4, 5 & 6, 2012 at Palladium’s warehouse in Westland, Michigan

The Palladium “Open House” is affordable gaming fun

Admission covers all events. This year, we’ve added “evening rates” for those of you who work during the day on weekends or have to spend several hours driving in. The evening rate starts at 6:00 PM and is $10 at the door.

The Open House is three days of Palladium role-playing games (four days for those also attending VIP Thursday; starting around 3:00 PM). Plus you have access to Kevin Siembieda, the Palladium staff and dozens of artists, writers and creators. Heck, it’s worth coming just to meet Palladium creators, get books signed and get artwork, prints and other product. Including rare and one-of-a-kind items.

● The price of admission includes ALL events – games, panel talks, the whole nine yards. The hotel is inexpensive ($69.00 for a double-bed till April 12, 2012, reserve your room today!) and is a short drive away.

● Plus open gaming, panel talks, and more. Like seeing previews of artwork for upcoming books, experimental game rules, getting the inside scoop on upcoming products from the people who are doing them, and more.

● Many gaming events are run by the creators who make them. Yep, many of the writers, artists and game designers who make the games and sourcebooks you love, run games. Plus, you’re gaming at the very location where the games are created! It’s a unique opportunity.

● Events run till midnight or 1:00 AM at Palladium, but you can continue to game at the official Palladium Hotel into the wee hours of the night. We have two conference rooms, the largest of which can accommodate as many as 10 different “pick-up games.” If you live within a hundred miles of Palladium, you have no excuse for not joining the fun!

● Open Gaming. We have expanded the area for open gaming.

● More panel talks.

● New product. You’ll be the first to have the opportunity to acquire three new T-shirt designs, a Palladium Fantasy coffee mug, miniatures, art prints and other cool stuff. Plus get glimpses of upcoming new book releases.

● Meet 30+ Palladium creators. There is no other event where you will meet 30+ Palladium creators. None. And they are there for you.

● Access to Palladium creators. Kevin Siembieda, the Palladium staff, artists, writers and other Palladium creators are there for YOU. Kevin Siembieda is on site from 8:00 AM till 10:00 PM! Most guests are available from 9:00 AM till 8:00 PM (often later). That means you can get 30+ autographs, chat with 30+ creators and get all kinds of inside information. Not to mention have the time of your life.

● The event is hosted at the Palladium warehouse and office at 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185, so you get to play at the very building where the games are made and see what the place looks like. You might even get a tour of the Palladium offices. You don’t fight big crowds or have to wait in line for hours to get in. There are only 200-300 gamers, but they come from around the world.

● Game with Kevin Siembieda & other Palladium creators. Many of the games are hosted by the very people who make them! Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, Greg Diaczyk, Carl Gleba, Irvin Jackson, Brandon Aten, Mark Oberle, and many other Palladium creators run the games YOU play in. Other games are run by excellent Megaversal Ambassadors and seasoned Game Masters.

● Enter the Open House Costume Contest and win “Palladium Bucks” and an attractive award. Palladium Bucks and awards are given out for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place in each of the three categories: Rifts®/Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror/Modern (Nightbane®, BTS, Heroes Unlimited, etc.), plus Best of Show. Costume Contest is Saturday evening. We love to see people in costume as Palladium characters.

● Live Auction – Saturday evening – is your chance to acquire the rarest of the rare, collectibles, bargains and unique oddities.

● Enjoy panel discussions with Kevin Siembieda and other creators.

● Artists will be offering original art and limited edition prints for sale, and some even do character sketches (for a price).

● Get the newest books, back stock, miniatures, and specialty items.

● Get original art and out of print items.

● Get your books signed by dozens of Palladium creators.

● Get your photograph taken with Kevin Siembieda, your favorite artists and writers, zombies (really), and a Star Wars Stormtrooper.

● YOU are one of the elite few hundred at this intimate event.

● Meet Palladium fans from around the world. This year we know fans are coming from Australia, England, Germany, Japan and Canada, as well as from across the United States.

● Game till you drop! When we close our doors at the Palladium offices sometime after midnight, there are two gaming rooms at the hotel. And they are available for open gaming ALL night.

● It’s an experience you will never forget and this may be your last chance. For a variety of reasons, this may be our last Open House.

● The Open House is more like a big family reunion or a 3-day party than a convention. YOU are welcomed into our “home” – the Palladium warehouse and offices. YOU are treated like a welcomed guest at Palladium, not one of thousands of faceless, nameless attendees. And you get to hang with Kevin Siembieda and many of the Palladium creators. WARNING: You’ll discover we’re all gaming geeks just like you.

Admission:

Note: Admission covers ALL events. There is NO extra charge to play in a game, participate in panel talks, to meet dozens of Palladium creators, or to get autographs. Note: Please place your orders in advance so we can schedule enough games, panel talks and accommodations.

$40 for the Three Day Weekend – Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Walk-ins are welcomed, but the price is $50 for the weekend at the door and after April 15, 2012.

$20 for ALL-Day Friday (May 4), 9:00 AM till Closing (about midnight). Same price at the door, if space is available. Open gaming continues at the hotel.

$20 for ALL-Day Saturday (May 5), 9:00 AM till Closing (about midnight). Same price at the door, if space is available. Open gaming continues at the hotel.

NEW! $10 Friday & Saturday Evenings ONLY: Available at the door after 6:00 PM. Visit till closing, join pick-up games and maybe get into games that still have open slots for players. Meet creators, get autographs, enjoy panel talks, pick up new releases and back stock items, original art, prints, miniatures, T-Shirts and other good stuff. Saturday Evening after 6:00 PM: Enjoy the Costume Contest (starts around 6:00 PM), live auction (7:00 PM). 8:00 PM, gaming, panel talks and chats resume.

$10 for Sunday (May 6), 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Same price at the door. Worth it just to meet people, get autographs and pick up game books, art, etc.

VIP Night Open House “Waiting List.” VIP Thursday has been SOLD OUT for weeks, but inevitably we get a handful of cancellations. Put your name on the VIP Waiting List, and we’ll call you if a cancellation opens up. Call the Palladium office order line (734-721-2903) to get on the VIP Waiting List. Available on a first-come, first served, basis.

Placing Your Order: Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Include the NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.

Credit Card Payment: Palladium accepts Visa, MasterCard and most credit cards. All Credit Card orders must include: Credit Card No. – Name on the card – Address of the Credit Cardholder – Expiration Date – Telephone Number of the cardholder.

NOTE:All admission tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. Due to space and parking limitations and safety concerns, attendance will be strictly limited to a maximum of 350 admission tickets.

Palladium Open House Hotel Information; $69.95 per night

The special Palladium hotel rate is $69.95 plus tax per Double or King room, but the hotel is filling up fast.